New Communities Entering the National Flood
Insurance Program, January 1998 Through January 1999

The attached listing identifies communities that entered the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from January 1998 through January 1999

. These communities are now eligible for flood insurance through the NFIP under the Emergency Program or the Regular Program.

The Emergency Program is for communities that first enter the NFIP. It is an interim program that provides lower levels of flood insurance for eligible structures at subsidized rates. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issues flood hazard boundary maps with this program to permit lenders (and others) to determine whether properties are located in a flood plain area. Communities in the Emergency Program will be admitted to the Regular Program upon completion of specific requirements.

The Regular Program may be entered once a detailed study has been completed and a flood insurance rate map (FIRM) for the area has been issued by FEMA. A FIRM delineates a community by degrees of probable flood hazard and includes more specific area identifications than the flood hazard boundary maps issued under the Emergency Program. The Regular Program provides full insurance coverage for eligible structures, and it requires additional flood-plain management responsibilities for the community.

FEMA provides up-to-date information about the status of communities participating in the NFIP on its Internet site: www.fema.gov/fema/csb.shtm.